The next 2 years

We have a very narrow window (assuming we don‘t suddenly make the best draft/trade choices of all time). Injury and shenanigans permitting, quality talls are there for many years to come. The problem we have is the younger and more dashing midfielders need to come through before the likes of Watson and Goddard decline.

 

And, of course, we need to find that damn switch.

Until they get deadly serious about being professional and bringing 100% commitment to the cause every single week they're no chance and will get no better than mediocre results. Unfortunately our list is rife with inconsistent performers and until they get their ■■■■ together or we get in players who are professional we'll be no better than a middle of the road side.

Can't say I'm confident at the moment. A hell of a lot has to go right in the offseason, just for us to remain a top eight contender.

 

- First things first, this ASADA rubbish has to end quickly with no more damage to us

- we have to keep Paddy or get very good compensation.

- I think at a minimum 2 of our slowish mids need to be overtaken by quicker blokes. In this category are Stanton, Hocking and Howlett. There is room for one (Hocking or Howlett imo). Blokes like Jerrett & Fantasia have to be first in line if they can have big pre-seasons, but at least there are plenty of other youngsters on the list who could step up

- Maybe we can get lucky with a trade or draft pick for one of those spots...another Zerrett? That would be a bonus

 

If we are to step into the top 4, we need at least one more gun mid, because Stanton is past his best and Goddard probably is too (although I have much more faith that Goddard could continue to be a solid contributor for at least another season). At this point, I think our best 4 mids are Heppell, Watson, Zaka and Myers. Zerrett is the man to step up into this group. Can he do it quickly enough? We'd probably also need Zaka and Myers to improve a bit more.

Right now it still hurts too much to really even care and think about next year. 

 

Defence is outstanding. Midfielders too patchy but there's enough talent if consistent to be up there in the competition. The forward line is a big concern. But it all means nothing until the mental side of things change. These guys need to be released from this ASADA crap and move on with their football. Until that happens I can't see anything changing. We'll be there abouts again next year I believe but whether we can take another step is a different question. Looking back on this year as a whole in comparison to last year, I think we had a better season and better wins in 2013. But in 2014 we played for longer, didn't get thrashed and obviously made finals. But we were lucky this year in some games to even make finals all together. Maybe in 2015 we can utilise everything they've learnt over the past 18 months and hopefully be free from the stupid saga and can just get on with football. Time will tell. But right now I couldn't give a rats ■■■ about football until April next year. 

Last year says to me we have heart and a quality team but this year I just didn't get that feeling. I really don't know where we go from here. If Paddy goes I think we will end up around the same. If he stays we will win a final or two.

 

Either way we won't go backwards. 

We are no chance to win a flag this decade. We will probably win a final sometime, but then everyone (of the pre-2010 clubs except RFC) has done that in the last 11 years.

 

As we have seen this season, we are way off even being a top 4 side. Sure we hope we will improve, but every club's fans hope their club will improve, and their clubs are investing big bucks in staff whose job it is to see they do. We do not have any strategy or pathway to improve so much that we leapfrog 7 other clubs.

 

In the next few years, all the GCS's and then GWS's #1 draft picks will be reaching maturity, just when we will have a hollow shape where our unjustly-stripped #1 and #2 picks from 2013-4 should be.

If Ryder leaves we need to rebuild.

Rebuild?

YIKES

I was bagging him in the noon essendon thread but a guy like delideo is exactly what our midfield is crying out for. One miss with express pace and neat skills. Seems like we have been saying that forever.

I think we have to make a few tough decisions to inject a bit more pace and class.

Of the current crop of senior guys id be asking questions about hocking Myers Stanton Dempsey licha and howlett.

I think we should be aiming to turn over 3 of those guys in the best 22 in a bid find some more pace class poise and an ability to be more consistent in games.

Whether the name come from youngsters on the list or from outside I don’t know.

I’d love brad hill. I wonder if Lewis jetta is gettable. Hanley? It is pie in the sky stuff but it is what we need.

I don’t think we have a guy that chases his own kick out and gets it back.

Can we hope for the other merret or Edwards to suddenly explode into this player

In 2015, we’ll make top 4 and win a qualifying final.

2016: flag.


I don't think we have a guy that chases his own kick out and gets it back.

Trav.

 

Can we hope for the other merret or Edwards to suddenly explode into this player

Yes. We can hope, but it's not likely they will, especially the Other Merrett.

Obviously respect people's opinions but I'd be absolutely gobsmacked if we didn't get close to a flag within the next 5 years. Not at least be top 4. We can't become Richmond...

Obviously respect people's opinions but I'd be absolutely gobsmacked if we didn't get close to a flag within the next 5 years. Not at least be top 4. We can't become Richmond...

We are not Richmond

At best we will tread water.

List isn’t good enough.

We aren’t going to miraculously fix the bit above the shoulders that stops some of these guys from performing.

Forward line is 3 players short. Simply not dynamic or hardworking enough and the smalls aren’t dangerous enough on the whole.Licha looks/is stuffed. Ambrose doesn’t have the natural talent IMO. Chappy has 1 yr left. Kommer should help but we certainly don’t have the mid/small types to equal gunston, Breust and puopolo.

Midfield needs to be fixed. It gets close but that won’t cut it. Flag winning midfields are generally in the top 3 in the comp. we aren’t the equal of Sydney, Hawthorn or Geelong. We aren’t better than Freo, north, port or richmond. It remains to be seen if we are still ahead of Gold Coast next year.

You can’t carry both Heppell and Jobe who both lack pace and defensive run along with hocking, howlett and Myers who are all one-paced. The midfield is full of tough hard at it inside types along with zaka who isn’t great defensively. We need a dynamic mid (2 actually) who can win the ball but also spread like a hannaberry or jack. We need an andy Lovett type on the outside. Sydney have Jetta, hawks have hill, Freo have hill, even north had wells. Who do we have?

The backline is well sorted and the least of our worries however the 3rd tall role is absolutely up for grabs as IMO steinberg is honest, but just plain ordinary in everything. Not a great user, not fast, not particularly big or strong. We need better.

In 2 years we might actually realise where we are at and start a real transition, in the meantime I reckon it will be more of the same.

We have one genuinely quick guy, Colyer, on our entire list.

Actually, that’s not fair, Dalgliesh.

^^^

 

If we can get a line breaker or two from the FA then we can really push for September. Otherwise we will be Top 6 for sure but will struggle to win the big one.

 

Saying that next year Top 6 minimum and the year after is the premiership year*

 

 

*Given the ASADA bullshit is done with

Don’t even want to think about football right now and my addiction to this place is probably the only reason I am, but something about this season has made me feel some relative empathy for those Richmond supporters. Put so much effort into getting to every game, so much hope and it ends like that.

So long story short I reckon if the next two years we aren’t contending or on the brink of blowing the competition away in 2017 we’re in for a Richmond like run of mediocrity.

Saying that, we were 13 points off me having a completely different tone and heralding Joey as the next Franklin and locking us in to make a prelim at least next year. Fickle game.


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I don't think we have a guy that chases his own kick out and gets it back.

Trav.
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Can we hope for the other merret or Edwards to suddenly explode into this player

Yes. We can hope, but it's not likely they will, especially the Other Merrett.

Yep he is one and zmerrett is another. We wouldn't have won enough games in the back of the season without them. They will continue to improve too. It may be enough
We still felt so slow last night though and I feel we need another

Someone like this guy

unless the ASADA bullshit is done with*

*We are ■■■■■■ for a very long time